Everything Changes
by ILuvSnuffles805
Summary: Two weeks after the failed wedding, Ranma and Akane finally have the conversation they've both been waiting for. Will they finally be able to tell eachother how they feel? And what happens when everyone else finds out? CHAPTER TWO IS UP.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: I always pictured something like this happening after the failed wedding – kind of a cute first step toward a real relationship. _

_Some shameless self-promotion: Please check out my in-progress Ranma fanfic, "Nothing to Sneeze At" as well as my Ranma/Akane vid (which I made a few years back) on youtube. [without spaces] www . youtube . com/watch?v=wSMxGWcTaO4_

_Anyway, enjoy!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½ or its characters. That honor lies with Rumiko Takahashi._

_**Everything Changes**_

The loud rumbling of his father's snores filled Ranma's ears as he stared at the ceiling of his bedroom, trying in vain to concentrate. _It's no use… I can't think like this._ He thought miserably. He sat up with a yawn, stretching his arms over his head as he did so. It seemed like it had been ages since he'd had a decent night's sleep. There'd just been too much on his mind to allow for any shut-eye, and that night was no different than the others.

Ranma silently crept around his father's sleeping form towards the window. _Maybe I just need some fresh air…_ He opened the window as silently as he could and slipped out onto the windowsill before pulling himself up onto the roof. Ranma shivered slightly as he got to his feet. "Guess it was colder out here than I thought…" He muttered to himself.

"Couldn't sleep?"

Ranma nearly fell off the roof. He raised his fists, ready to attack, until the initial shock wore off and he realized that it was a familiar voice that had called out to him. "Damn it, Akane!" He cried, lowering his hands and taking a few steps toward her.

Akane sat several feet away from him, wrapped up in a quilt and staring up at the night sky. "Sorry." She said softly.

Not sure what to do, Ranma drew closer and, after hesitating a moment, dropped down to sit beside her. "Guess you couldn't sleep either."

His fiancée shook her head. "I've been coming up here the past few nights." She explained. "It's a good place to think."

"I bet." Ranma muttered absently, gazing up at the stars as well. The two remained silent for several minutes, though Ranma cast many anxious glances in Akane's direction. Something just didn't seem right, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

"Akane?" He asked suddenly. "Are you… okay?"

She didn't take her eyes off the sky. "I'm fine." She replied. "Why shouldn't I be?"

Ranma let out a sigh. "Akane, I can tell you're upset. And…" He hesitated. "And whatever it is, I'm sorry, okay?"

Akane didn't respond.

"I know what this is about." He shook his head, suddenly realizing what the problem must be. "This is about this morning, right? When I refused to eat those eggs you made me? Look, I'm sorry, Akane, but I was kinda planning on living to see 17, and I'm not sure how much more of that stuff I can take." He couldn't suppress a snicker as he spoke.

His fiancée remained silent, though her fists were beginning to clench with every word.

"Or is it yesterday?" He offered. "When I was trying to mess with Kuno as a girl and we found out I can't fit in your clothes anymore? It's not my fault you're getting so thick around the middle… And besides, some guys like girls who are all muscled-up like that. I mean, Kuno's got to, since he – "

SMACK!

Ranma blinked several times. The stars that danced before his eyes were definitely _not_ in the sky above. It took a few moments for everything to come back into focus.

"You jerk!" Akane crossed her arms angrily, turning away from him. "And for your information, _no_, that's not what's wrong. But thanks _so much_ for reminding me." She quickly fell once more into stony silence.

"Sorry." Ranma muttered, cursing himself bitterly. _Why do I always mess everything up like that? _"Akane, please." He said seriously. "What's wrong?"

Akane took a slow, deep breath. It was a few more moments before she began speaking. "I've just been thinking a lot." She said finally. "About, well… about what happened a couple of weeks ago."

Ranma's face paled. Did he dare tell her that he was sitting up on that roof for the exact same reason? He laughed nervously. "D-don't tell me you actually _wanted_ to get m-m-married…" He stammered.

"Of course not!" Akane said quickly. _We're too young anyway… _She shook her head. _Guess I'm gonna have to remind him…_ "Ranma," She began slowly, "What do you remember about… about that day?"

_Everything_, he wanted to say. How could he forget it? But, in truth, there were two things that stuck out most clearly in his mind: how crushed he had been, seeing his one chance to become a full man vanish before his eyes … and how breathtaking Akane had looked in her wedding dress.

"I dunno…" He said softly, shrugging. "Lotsa stuff, I guess."

"Alright…" Akane continued, sighing as she spoke. "But what about when we were in my bedroom… before you stormed off to find the Nannichuan water? I…" She paused, her cheeks beginning to flush slightly. "I asked you something. Do you…remember?"

Ranma could see it before his eyes as though it were happening right in front of him. He and Akane, kneeling on the floor of her bedroom, both too embarrassed to speak. He remembered the peculiar sensation that he was listening to someone else use his voice as he finally asked why she had suddenly agreed to marry him. Her reply seemed to echo in his mind. _Ranma… You love me, don't you?_

He could feel the color drain from his face as he was abruptly brought back to the present. "Y-yeah… I remember." He whispered.

Akane turned to face him, her eyes finally meeting his. "I never got an answer, Ranma…. And it's been bothering me ever since." She stared at him expectantly, and the silence seemed to last for hours.

Finally, Ranma found his voice. "W-what?" His heart began pumping faster and faster in his chest. "Wait – wait! I did answer! Dontcha remember? We even fought about it! I told you, I _never_ said that I – "

"I didn't ask you if you _said _it." She cut him off, sighing in exasperation. "I asked you if you _do_."

The boy beside her did not speak.

Akane could feel the panic welling up inside her. _I knew it, I knew it, I knew it! How could I ever believe that he'd…_ "Why won't you just tell me the truth?" She asked softly, turning away from him. "And get it over with?"

Ranma let out a deep breath. He'd been dreading this conversation for more than two weeks, but it seemed that the time for the truth had finally come. "Because I'm scared." He mumbled, his voice very small.

"What?" Akane stared at him, incredulous. That was definitely not the answer she had been expecting.

"You don't get it, do you?" Ranma could feel the warmth rising in his cheeks as she spoke. "No matter which way I answer that question, it's gonna change everything. And, well, I don't _want_ anything to change. I mean, I like things the way they are, but as soon as I say how I feel, everything's gonna be different." He shrugged, trying to hide his embarrassment. "I guess I just don't wanna mess everything up."

There was a brief moment of silence. Then, to his surprise, the sound of Akane's laughter reached his ears. He clenched his fists tightly at his sides. _Is she… making fun of me?_

"Ranma, you don't think I'm afraid too?" She asked, her amusement apparent in her voice. "Why do you think I haven't been able to sleep at night?" Akane shook her head slowly. "I don't want things to change either… but you can't just expect it to stay like this _forever_, can you?" Her fiancé did not reply. "Please, Ranma." She reached over to put her hand on top of his.

Finally, he turned to look at her. "A-Akane…"

"I have to know…" She took a deep breath. _It's now or never…_ "Do you love me?"

Ranma was fairly certain his heart was about to burst out of his chest. He stared down at the roof, not daring to meet his fiancée's eyes. If she hadn't been paying close attention, Akane would surely have missed the tiny nod of his head.

"Really?" She whispered.

He nodded again.

Akane felt as though her heart was about to burst as well, but for a very different reason. _I can't believe it!_ She could not contain the rush of emotion that was threatening to overcome her. How long had she been waiting for this moment?

Every second of silence that passed seemed like an eternity to Ranma. _I knew I'd mess it all up…_ He thought miserably, chancing a sideways glance at Akane. "So I guess… now you know." He sighed. "Happy?"

He heard a tiny sniffle beside him. "Yes… I am." Akane's voice faltered slightly as she spoke. "You have no idea how good that is to hear."

_Huh?_ Ranma turned to face her. _Is she actually…?_ The tiny tear that splashed into Akane's lap confirmed his suspicion. "Well, why are you crying about it then?!" He demanded. "I thought you said you were happy!"

"I am!" Akane wiped her tears on the sleeve of her pajamas. "You're such a dope." She muttered with a laugh.

Her fiancé looked away from her, trying his best to remain casual. "So… I guess this means that you…?" He peeked at her from the corner of his eye as he spoke.

"Mmm-hmm." Akane nodded quickly, her cheeks growing so warm that she feared they'd be stained with a permanent blush. "Me too."

This time, it felt as though Ranma's heart had _stopped _beating. It was a struggle to find his voice. "Oh." He finally choked out.

How was this all happening so fast? He hardly dared to believe it – what if this all turned out to be a dream? It was as though his mind was working in overdrive, trying to keep up with it all. He fought for several moments to form some sort of coherent thought.

_I can't just sit here. I should DO something… _He decided. For one wild moment, he thought of kissing her, but quickly chased the idea out of his mind. He definitely wasn't ready for something like that. His eyes finally fell on her tiny hand, which lay limply at her side. _Perfect…_

Clearing his throat softly, Ranma reached out and took her hand in his. "I, uh…" He took a deep breath, finally mustering up the courage to look her in the eye. "I'm happy too."

Akane couldn't hold back a smile as her eyes finally met his. She squeezed his hand gently, marveling at how easy it was. _If only we'd had this conversation months ago…_ She took a moment to imagine the way things could have been… the way she hoped they _would_ be, now that the truth had come out. It was the sound of Ranma's voice that finally brought her back to the present.

"Jeez, Akane! Your hands are freezing!" He cried, glancing down at the one he now held. "We should go back inside."

But Akane shook her head. "Let's stay out here just a little longer." She said, leaning back against the roof to gaze up at the stars.

Beside her, Ranma did the same. "A guess a little longer wouldn't hurt…" He paused a moment, staring up at the sky. "It's a nice night."

"It is." Akane agreed, but it wasn't the stars she was looking at when she spoke. She sighed softly, smiling. "See? It's not always bad when things change…"

"Not always." Ranma allowed, no longer able to restrain his own smile. "And it's not like _everything_ has to be different…"

Akane nudged him playfully. "Yup, you're still the same insensitive jerk as before."

"Uh-huh, and you're still a muscle-bound macho chick." Ranma burst into laughter as Akane's grip on his hand began to tighten threateningly. _Whoops… Guess that was a little too far. _He raised his free hand in surrender."Hey, hey, hey! Remember? I said some guys like that sort of thing!"

His fiancée raised an eyebrow at him. "'Some guys' meaning….?"

"Who else?" He smiled sheepishly at her. "Me."

"Alright, I'll let that one slide…" Akane shook her head at him, but her anger had vanished. "I really _am _happy, Ranma." She said seriously. She hesitated for a moment, then moved closer, curling up beside him and placing her head on his shoulder.

Ranma could feel his heart begin to race. "Me too." He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. _Who knew this'd be so easy? _The rhythm of Akane's slow, even breathing helped to calm him down and allowed him to finally relax, his mind at ease and his heart lighter than it had been in quite some time.

They laid together in silence for the next several minutes. There was so much Ranma wanted to say, but he had no idea where to begin. "Akane," Ranma's whisper finally broke the silence. He turned to face the girl he held in his arms. "Akane, I always wanted to tell you that – huh?"

Her eyes had closed and her head lolled slightly to the side. _She's asleep… _Taking great care not to wake her, Ranma slid himself out from beneath her sleeping form and scooped Akane gently into his arms. _She's gonna freeze if we stay out here._

Maneuvering himself as carefully as possible, Ranma hopped down onto the window ledge of Akane's bedroom and climbed inside through the still-open window. He crept over to the empty bed and slipped his fiancée between the covers. He turned to leave, but hesitated a moment, staring down at Akane's sleeping face, which was bathed in the moonlight from her bedroom window. _She's so pretty…_

"Ranma?" Akane's eyes fluttered open as she spoke.

"Wahhh! No, no! I was just –" Ranma jumped on the spot and held his hands up defensively. _Knee-jerk reaction… _"Sorry…" He laughed softly at his own foolishness as he stepped back toward the bed. "I brought you back inside." He explained. "You fell asleep."

"Thank you." Akane muttered sleepily.

"Don't mention it…" Ranma took a few hesitant steps toward the door. "I guess I'll… see you in the morning?"

He could just barely make out Akane's smile in the darkness. "Goodnight, Ranma."

Ranma did not respond as he slowly opened the door and stepped into the hall. Now that he was alone, the full weight of what had happened that night seemed to hit him at once. The boundary lines of his and Akane's relationship had always been kind of blurred, especially in the past several months, but now… _We're actually __together__. _He realized. It was like they were finally _real _fiancés.

"_Yes! Yes! YES!"_ Ranma felt as giddy as a little kid as he closed the door behind him. He couldn't help it as he punched a fist into the air, grinning triumphantly. "_Finally! After all this time! Me and Akane –_" He was suddenly blinded by a bright flash in his eyes. "What..?"

Nabiki lowered her camera, yawning sleepily. "Yup, with all that shouting, I _knew_ it'd be something good… Good thing I always keep my camera next to my bed."

One by one, the other doors in the hallway opened as Soun, Genma, and Kasumi joined Nabiki in front of Akane's door. "What's with all the racket?" Soun muttered, rubbing his eyes.

_Shouting…? Racket…? _Ranma gulped. "Was I, uh… shouting all that stuff out loud?"

His father nodded. "You sure sounded happy, boy. Now what…?" His voice trailed off into silence, a look of realization on his face.

"Oh my…" Kasumi gasped. "Ranma, it's nearly 3 o'clock in the morning. What were you doing in Akane's room?"

Ranma felt as though he could no longer breathe. "W-what?"

Genma and Soun's faces instantly lit-up. "That's m'boy!" Soun clapped Ranma on the back as he spoke.

"No! No! No! No! No!"

"Look, I have evidence!" Nabiki whipped out the Polaroid for all to see. "See? His hand's even on the doorknob."

"Nothing happened!" Ranma insisted, balling his hands into fists.

"Then what _were _you doing in Akane's room?" Nabiki raised an eyebrow at him.

"Okay. The truth is…" He gulped. "The truth is, I couldn't sleep, so I went outside and…" _I can't tell 'em… not yet, at least._ "And I saw that idiot Akane sitting up on the roof in the freezing cold." He continued. "I told her to come inside, but she wouldn't listen to me. And then… then she went and fell asleep, so I had to lug her back inside so she wouldn't freeze to death. If it wasn't for me, that dummy'd probably be an icicle by now." He laughed heartily as he finished speaking.

To his surprise, no one else seemed very amused. "Uh… are you sure that's how it happened, boy?" His father asked warily.

"'Course I am!"

An icy voice spoke from behind him. "Oh, really?"

Ranma blanched. "A-A…kan…e…?" He peered over his shoulder slowly, certain his life was about to be cut short. "How long were you…?"

Her entire body was shaking. "And why should it matter to you?" Akane raised her fist as she spoke. "After all, I'm just an IDIOT!"

When Ranma was finally able to open his eyes, he was lying in an empty hallway. The door behind him still vibrated from being so forcefully slammed. He blinked several times as he pulled himself to his feet. "Stupid Akane…" He muttered. _Not to mention stupid __me__… _

Ranma hesitated outside her door, his fist ready to knock, but quickly thought better of it. _I'll make it up to her tomorrow._ He decided. _As long as I don't mess it up again…_ He shook his head miserably as he trudged down the hallway toward his bedroom.

_Guess I was right,_ He thought, rubbing the large lump on his head. _Some things never change…_

_A/N: Poor Ranma! Hahaha. Right now I have this listed as "complete", but I may choose to continue it... we'll see! Sorry it ended up being longer than I expected! Please review! (And check out my other Ranma fic and my vid I mentioned in the beginning, if you'd like!)_


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Alright, so thanks to all you lovely reviewers, I've decided I'm gonna try to continue this story and see where it goes! I have a couple of different routes it might take… it's definitely gonna end up involving some conflict and some humor, rather than pure fluffy romance (but I'm sure you guys won't mind that). _

_Also, just as a random side-note, I found while writing this chapter that it's really hard to write about Ranma when he's a girl. Because you can't call him "she", since he's technically still a guy, but you don't want the readers to forget he's still in girl-form… Hahaha. So tricky! That's why every so often I make some sort of reference to his female-ness, just to make sure everyone remembers lol. Anyways, enjoy and please keep up those lovely reviews! You guys are great!_

_**Chapter Two**_

Breakfast at the Tendo household the next morning was an uncomfortable affair. Akane determinedly looked everywhere but Ranma's face as she ate in stony silence. Beside her, her fiancé fidgeted uncomfortably and made several unsuccessful attempts to meet her eye before finally giving up and finishing his meal with his eyes glued to the table. Soun and Genma both seemed to be pondering something and gave each other many significant glances, though neither made any mention of the night before. Kasumi was as sweet and unassuming as ever, while Nabiki seemed to be following Ranma and Akane's every move with great scrutiny. Not one of them said a word.

It was Nabiki who finally broke the silence. She got to her feet with a sigh of disappointment. "Well this is boring." She muttered, slinging her backpack over her shoulder. "See you all later, I suppose." She gave a half-hearted wave to her family as she swept out of the room.

_Wonder why she's rushing off so fast…_ Ranma hesitated a moment before getting to his feet as well. "Guess that means we should get going too." He glanced down at Akane expectantly, but she made no reply. He was unsure that she had even heard him until she finally took the last few bites of her food and stood up beside him.

"Thank you for breakfast, Kasumi." Akane's smile was a bit _too _cheerful as she picked up her schoolbag from the floor. She left the room without another word, striding right past Ranma as though he were invisible.

Ranma sighed heavily and made to follow his fiancée, but Genma reached out and grabbed his son, pulling him back toward the table. "I don't know what you did this time, boy," Genma eyed him suspiciously. "But you'd better fix it."

Ranma forcefully pulled himself from his father's grasp. "Don't tell me what to do, old man." He glowered at him threateningly for a moment before dashing out after Akane.

By the time he caught up with her, she had already reached the main road. _Man, she's fast…_ Ranma prepared to spring up onto the fence that ran along the sidewalk, but quickly thought better of it and instead fell into step alongside his silent fiancée.

_Oh, man… what am I gonna say?_ Ranma thought miserably. Apologies definitely weren't something he was used to… in fact, he liked to avoid them at all costs, if he could help it. But he supposed that, after last night's conversation, some things would have to change. _Guess this is a good way to start…_

"Akane, I…" He cleared his throat softly. "About last night, I mean…" _Why is this so damn HARD?_ "I guess what I'm trying to say is –"

"Don't worry about it." Akane did not look at him as she finally spoke. "You don't have to say it."

Ranma stopped walking for a moment and stared at her, blinking several times. "R-really?" _Man, that was easier than I thought!_

Akane let out a soft sigh, now several paces ahead of him. "I just can't believe I was so stupid." She muttered sadly.

_Or… maybe not._ With Akane, things were _never _easy. Ranma quickened his pace, walking beside her once more. "What're you talking about?" He asked cautiously.

"I just don't know what came over me." Akane explained, sighing yet again. "To think I _actually_ believed you." She shook her head slowly. "You're a better actor than I thought, Ranma… and an even bigger JERK!"

Her punch caught him off-guard, sending him flying over the fence and straight into the water below. Ranma shook his now red hair out of his eyes as he broke the surface of the water, coughing and sputtering. "What the HECK was that for?!" The busty young girl shouted, climbing atop a nearby rock at the water's edge.

He sprang lightly into the air, landing on the very edge of the chain-link fence before hopping down to the street below. He looked around for his fiancée, but found that Akane had already rounded the corner and was out of sight. _Damn it! I hate showing up to school like this…_ Ranma took a moment to glance down at his soaked female body before breaking into a run.

"Akane, wait!" He cried, finally catching sight of her. Akane was walking so fast, Ranma was nearly at a jog trying to keep up. "What the Hell is going on?" _This can't just be about what I said in the hallway…_

Akane rounded on him so fast that he tripped over his too-long pants and fell right down onto the street. "You know _exactly_ what I'm talking about!" She cried. "But like you said, I'm just an _idiot._ No wonder I believed you so easily…"

Ranma gaped at her. "Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait!" The red headed girl sprang up from the ground. "You think I _lied_ to you?" He shook his head in disbelief. "Okay, maybe I don't _always_ tell the truth," He allowed, "But I'd never lie about something like _that_! I meant everything I said!"

"Aha! But you never _said_ anything!" Akane retorted.

"What?!"

"It's true! I asked you, and you just nodded your head."

_I can't BELIEVE her! _Ranma was fuming, his face quickly turning the same shade as his hair. "But that's not fair! You didn't seem to have any problem with it last night!" He insisted. "It still counts!"

"Hmmph. I should have known better." Akane turned away from him and began walking. "Besides, if you _really_ meant it, you wouldn't have turned on me and lied about it like that…"

"Now just wait _one _minute!" Ranma had reached his limit. He bounded ahead of Akane before rounding on her, grabbing her firmly by the shoulders and stopping her mid-step. "What is _wrong_ with you?!" He demanded. "Here I am, trying to apologize, and you go and hit me, turn me into a girl, and then go rushing off without telling me what the heck's goin' on! Jeez, why does _everything_ with you always turn into a fight?"

Akane's anger seemed to vanish instantly. "You were… trying to apologize?"

"_Yes!_" Ranma threw his hands in the air. "I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry about what I said last night, ok? It's just like you said – I shouldn't have lied about what happened." He sighed. "I was wrong."

His fiancée's eyes widened. "Ranma…" She said softly, placing a hand on the tiny girl's forehead. "Are you feeling okay?"

Ranma narrowed his eyes at her. "I'm tryin' to be serious here!"

"I know, I know. Sorry." Akane took a deep breath. "Thank you." She said. "For apologizing."

"I guess I sorta chickened-out, I guess." Ranma looked down at the ground as he spoke. "I just feel like maybe we should try to keep it quiet for a while, you know?" He paused. "I mean, our dads would never let us live it down. And then if word gets out to certain people, well… things might get kind of…"

"Crazy." Akane nodded in agreement as she and Ranma finally continued down the street.

"And besides, don't girls like that sort of thing?"

Akane raised an eyebrow at him. "What sort of thing?"

The girl walking beside her shrugged. "I dunno… 'secret romance' and stuff like that?" Ranma began to blush. "Like… doesn't it get 'em all hot or somethin'?" He glanced at Akane questioningly as he spoke.

Akane nearly doubled over in hysterics. "Y'know," She said, still chuckling as she brushing away a few tears from her watering eyes. "For someone who spends half their time as a girl, you really need to brush-up on this 'girl psychology' thing."

"Hey, I'm trying here!" Ranma cried defensively.

"I know…" Akane smiled as she spoke, her laughter finally dying away. They continued on in silence for a few more moments. "So… you _did_ mean it then?" She asked suddenly.

Ranma's heart began to race. "I did." He replied, sighing softly. "And if it's really what you want…" He paused a moment, steeling himself. "I… I really… I mean, I…Uh…"

Akane smirked at him playfully. "I knew you were too chicken to say it."

_I'm not! I'm not!_ Ranma stopped in his tracks and grabbed Akane by the arm, turning her to face him. "I LOVE YOU, OKAY?!" He shouted shrilly in her face. "I love you, and I always have! There, I said it… Twice!" He let out a deep breath and smiled softly, satisfied with himself. _Gee, that wasn't THAT hard… but maybe I shouldn't have shouted like that_…

For some reason, Akane did not look pleased.

It was then that Ranma noticed the rather large crowd of people who were gathered around them. Apparently he had chosen a rather busy street on which to make his declaration.

Ranma glanced down at his chest, staring at his breasts as though noticing them for the first time. "We're, uh… both girls, aren't we?" He whispered.

Akane nodded, her cheeks extremely red. "Mmm-hmm."

The quiet whispers from the onlookers began to grow louder and louder.

"Oh, my!"

"Did you hear that?"

"And in public, no less!"

"What a waste… that redhead's a _fox!"_

One person, however, actually began applauding. "Good for you! Don't be ashamed, ladies!"

"L-let's go, Akane…" Ranma mumbled wearily, grabbing Akane by the hand and pulling her away. "We're gonna be late."

"Look, look! They're holding hands!"

Unfortunately in their haste to flee the scene, both Ranma and Akane neglected to notice a very familiar face in the crowd. _Hmm… Interesting…_

xxx

Both Ranma and Akane barely even _looked_ at each other the entire school day. It wasn't so much embarrassment as it was fear that someone would figure out just how much things between the two of them had changed in the past 24 hours. Things were already bad enough after the almost-wedding. Why make it worse?

It was with an enormous sigh of relief that Ranma (now happily returned to his male form) and Akane began heading home after the last bell had finally rung. Somehow, despite the embarrassing events of that morning, they had survived the entire day at school. Too bad the day was really only half over.

"Hey, Nabiki! Wait up!" Akane smiled as she noticed the familiar form walking several paces ahead of them. In truth, it would be a relief not to be alone with Ranma the entire walk home. Things were still pretty awkward between them and she definitely needed a break before being alone with him again.

Her sister smiled brightly at them as they approached, humming softly to herself. "It's a beautiful day, isn't it?"

Ranma could almost see the red warning flags popping up in his mind. _This can't be good…_ "You're, uh… sure in a good mood, huh Nabiki?"

Beside him, Akane seemed to notice something was up as well. "Did… did something good happen at school today?" She asked her sister warily.

Nabiki shook her head. "No, nothing's happened _yet_… but I just have the feeling good things are coming my way." She said breezily.

"You don't say…" Ranma muttered.

"Y'know…" Nabiki glanced sideways at Ranma and Akane. "I saw the _strangest_ thing this morning on my way to school."

"St-strange?"

Nabiki nodded. "Mmm-hmm. _Everyone _was talking about it… I can't believe you missed it!" It took everything in her power not to crack a smile. "Two _girls_ confessing their love for each other… on a public street! I guess times really are changing, don't you think?"

_Oh God. She knows._ "N-Nabiki…" Akane felt as though she were about to faint.

All the color had drained from Ranma's face. "You're not gonna… gonna _tell_ anyone, are you?"

Nabiki's face dropped. "You really think so little of me? That I'm _that_ heartless?!"

"Oh, thank God. Nabiki—"

"What kind of monster would keep that kind of love a secret?" Nabiki put her hand on her heart, apparently overcome with emotion. "A declaration of love that beautiful just _has_ to be shared."

Ranma stood stock-still in the street, fairly certain he had just died. Nabiki skipped gleefully ahead of him while Akane waved her hand back and forth in front of his eyes.

"Ranma, snap out of it." She snapped her fingers in front of his face, finally bringing him back to earth. "Maybe… maybe it won't be that bad…" Akane paused, biting her lip. "I mean, we can't keep it a secret forever, right? People are bound to find out eventually…"

It was a moment before Ranma could find his voice. "Y-yeah… but this is _Nabiki_ we're talking about… Think about _who _she'd tell… and _how_ she'd break it to 'em…"

Akane's eyes widened, imagining the attacks and death threats that were surely in her and Ranma's near future. "Oh my God… Nabiki! Nabiki, wait!"

The two chased Nabiki the entire way home, trying to come up with a good bargaining chip.

xxx

"Okay…" Akane bit her lip, thinking. "If you won't settle for _that,_ what if I do all your laundry _and_ your homework for a month? No… three months!" She cried desperately as the three of them finally reached the walkway of the house.

Nabiki shook her head for what seemed like the thousandth time. "Nope, no deal." She said simply. "Such a shame… I guess if _that's_ the best you can offer me…"

"Wait, wait! Uh…" Ranma searched frantically for another idea until his eyes finally fell on the Tendo's koi pond. He dove in head first without a second thought. "You can take as many pictures of me as you want!" The red haired girl cried, spouting water everywhere. "I'll wear the girliest, frilliest lingerie you can find, okay?"

Nabiki laughed softly to herself. _Now THIS is just sad…_ "_Very _tempting, but… no." She smiled evilly. "There'll definitely be a hefty price for this one… Don't worry," She waved sweetly at them as she disappeared into the house. "I'll get back to you."

_She is pure evil…_ Ranma thought miserably, getting to his feet.

"This is awful." Akane sighed, defeated. "We're as good as dead."

Ranma climbed out of the water, wringing some of the water from his sopping wet shirt. "Don't worry, Akane." He said with as much confidence as he could muster. "Think of it this way… it's like a hostage situation, right? She's not gonna actually _do_ anything till she figures out what she wants and whether or not we can give it to her." He patted her on the back comfortingly. "So that gives _us_ some time to figure out how to get around it." He desperately hoped that he sounded convincing.

His fiancée smiled weakly at him. "I guess you're right… But what are we gonna _do_?"

Before Ranma could reply, a shrill oink of excitement sounded behind him. _Oh, great…_

"P-chan!" Akane squealed joyfully, taking the tiny piglet into her arms. "Mommy missed you!" She cooed, kissing him on the snout.

_Stupid Ryoga… still crawling back to Akane when he's got himself a GIRLFRIEND!_ Ranma thought bitterly. _Look at her kissing him like that! It's disgusting!_ He could not fight the wave of jealousy that shot through him at the sight.

"Oh, P-chan… I have so much to tell you!" Akane smiled, squeezing the piglet closer to her. "A lot's been happening around here since you've been gone."

"Huh?" Ranma was suddenly awoken from his thoughts by Akane's words. He knew Ryoga would end up being one of the first to find out. It was inevitable. But he also knew that there was no way Akane would spare any details when breaking the news to her precious P-chan. Of all the people who could find out, Ryoga's reaction was sure to be the most unpredictable. _I've gotta do this delicately…_

"Y'know, Akane, P-chan's lookin' a little dirty, dontcha think?" Ranma peered closely at the tiny pig. It glared back at him venomously. "I need to go change back into a guy again anyway… why don't I give the little piggy a bath while I'm at it?" He offered.

Akane blinked several times. _He's definitely trying, I'll give him that!_ "Sure." She said, obviously taken aback. "That's actually really sweet of you." She smiled brightly at him as she placed the struggling piglet into his arms.

Ranma could feel his heart pound faster in his chest. _Why does she have to be so darn cute?_ "No problem." He said casually, finally heading inside. As soon as he was out of her sight, he broke into a run straight for the bathroom. Ranma double-checked to make sure he had shut the door tightly behind him.

"Sorry to cut the reunion short," He muttered. Ryoga squealed in protest as he began running the hot water. "I'll explain in a minute, okay?"

He finally pushed the struggling pig beneath the surface of the water and immediately felt its shape begin to change. The red haired girl scooted back from the edge of the tub as a muscular, 16-year-old boy broke the surface of the water.

"Hey, P-chan." Ranma smiled sweetly at him. "Lookin' good."

Ryoga cracked his knuckles threateningly. "Ranma, what the HELL is going on?"

_A/N: Okay okay, that was a lame way to end the chapter, but it was getting long! Hahahaha. Hope you all liked it so far! I'm starting to get a clearer picture of where this is all heading… hope you guys will be happy with the results! Oh, and just so everyone knows, in this chapter, I was kind of trying to convey that "Oh my God, look!" kind of attitude that people in the Ranma-verse (aka 1980s Japan) seem to give people who they believe are homosexual. I definitely wasn't trying to be homophobic or anything when some of the people and Nabiki were acting all shocked and stuff. Just didn't want anyone to get offended!_

_Anyways, please review!_


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